In general, an ATA analyzer performs the tasks of troubleshooting, and performance measurement. There are numerous reasons why an ATA disk drive may not work with a computer which supports ATA disk drives. Because of the large number of disk drive manufacturers and personal computer manufacturers, compatibility problems are common. Other sources of problems include cable length, noise, or simply a broken computer or disk drive. An ATA analyzer makes it easier to troubleshoot compatibility problems and other problems that may prevent a computer from accessing its storage device. It makes troubleshooting easier by recording all of the signal changes on the ATA bus, or by selectively recording only the important events. The analyzer presents the recorded data to the user in a form which includes high level information such as "Read Command", and low level information such as "the IOR bit is set". An ATA analyzer also performs the function of identifying performance levels in areas such as access time, transfer rates, and command overhead by providing a time indicator which indicates how much time has passed between two bus events.
An ATA analyzer is similar to a general purpose logic analyzer by being able to record signals present on its inputs using either a state mode or a timing mode, by having a trigger to either start or stop the capture, and by being able to display the captured signals to the user. An advantage of an ATA analyzer over a general logic analyzer is that an ATA analyzer is much easier to setup and use, due to it's design for a specific purpose. Another advantage of an ATA analyzer over a standard logic analyzer is the ability to interpret the ATA bus signals for the user, so that even those who are unfamiliar with ATA bus operation can understand what events occurred, and identify the cause of a problem.